PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — The San Jose Sharks scored five unanswered goals in the third period and overtime to stun the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. Trailing 5-1, the Sharks mounted a furious comeback. John Klingberg scored twice, including the overtime winner at 8:57 of the extra period. Tyler Toffoli led San Jose with two goals and two assists, while Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists. Sidney Crosby and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which built its lead with three second-period goals. The Sharks’ rally defied pregame projections that heavily favored the Penguins. San Jose improved to 16-17, while Pittsburgh fell to 14-16.

PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth affair that defied pregame projections, the San Jose Sharks erased a two-goal deficit with a four-goal third period before finishing off the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 in overtime Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena. The victory, sealed by defenseman John Klingberg’s second goal of the afternoon 8 minutes and 57 seconds into the extra session, pushed the Sharks back above the .500 mark at 16-17 overall. The Penguins fell to 14-16. The game’s most critical sequence was San Jose’s stunning third-period offensive explosion. Trailing 4-1 after Anthony Mantha’s goal for Pittsburgh at the 15:25 mark of the second period, the Sharks mounted a relentless comeback. Klingberg started the rally with a wrist shot at 1:33 of the third, assisted by Tyler Toffoli and William Eklund. Just over a minute later, a chaotic sequence in front of Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs ended with Eklund jamming home a rebound at 2:19, with Alexander Wennberg and Adam Gaudette assisting. The Sharks completed the comeback to take their first lead since the game’s opening minutes when rookie Macklin Celebrini unleashed a slap shot for his 16th goal of the season at 11:32, with Toffoli and Collin Graf picking up helpers. San Jose appeared to put the game out of reach when Toffoli scored his second of the afternoon just 49 seconds later, at 12:22, converting a feed from Wennberg and Celebrini to make it 5-4. Pittsburgh, however, showed resilience. With Silovs pulled for an extra attacker, the Penguins pressured late and were rewarded when Bryan Rust’s shot hit the post and the ensuing scramble led to a goal credited to Rutger McGroarty, who poked the puck past Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov with just 19 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. The extra frame saw both teams trade chances before Klingberg ended it. Taking a pass from Celebrini and Graf, the Swedish defenseman moved into the high slot and fired a wrist shot past Silovs for the game-winner. The contest began with both teams exchanging first-period goals. San Jose struck first when Toffoli opened the scoring at 10:27 of the first, finishing a play set up by Sam Dickinson and Wennberg. Pittsburgh’s captain Sidney Crosby answered on a power play at 12:41, converting a setup from Mantha and Rust. The second period belonged to the Penguins. McGroarty scored his first of the afternoon just 19 seconds into the frame, assisted by Ben Kindel and Kris Letang. Kevin Hayes made it 3-1 at 18:42, and Rust extended the lead to three goals with a power-play slap shot at 18:53 of the second, with Crosby and Mantha assisting. San Jose’s top performers drove the offense. Toffoli, named the game’s top star, led the way with two goals and two assists. Celebrini had a goal and two assists, while Wennberg recorded three assists. Klingberg’s two-goal afternoon included the decisive tally. Graf contributed two assists. For Pittsburgh, Crosby finished with a goal and an assist. Mantha had a goal and two assists, and Rust tallied a goal and an assist. Noel Acciari had an assist. The result was a stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting on Oct. 18, a 3-0 Penguins shutout in San Jose. It also confounded the statistical models, as National Statistical’s game simulator had projected a 3-2 Pittsburgh win, and its ELO system gave the Penguins a 68.6% probability of victory. The combined 11 goals sailed over the pregame over/under line of 6. Askarov made 44 saves for San Jose in the win, weathering a 49-37 shot disadvantage. Silovs stopped 31 shots for Pittsburgh. The Sharks continue their road trip with a game at Calgary on Tuesday. The Penguins have a quick turnaround, hosting the Utah Mammoth on Sunday.

Preview: Sharks Visit Penguins in Cross-Conference Matchup PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — Two teams looking to stabilize their seasons will meet when the San Jose Sharks visit the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena. Both clubs enter the contest with sub-.500 records. The Sharks (15-17-0) are coming off a 3-2 overtime victory in Toronto on Thursday, while the Penguins (14-15-0) are looking to rebound from a 4-2 home loss to Montreal the same night. San Jose has shown recent volatility, alternating wins and losses over its past six games. Its offense has been sporadic, but center Alexander Wennberg enters on a hot streak. He recorded a goal and two assists in the win over the Maple Leafs and has five points (two goals, three assists) in his last four games. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who made 28 saves in Toronto, is expected to start. Pittsburgh has struggled for consistency at home, going 2-3-0 in its last five at PPG Paints Arena. Captain Sidney Crosby remains the focal point, but secondary scoring has been an issue. The Penguins’ power play, a traditional strength, has been inconsistent during their recent skid. The Penguins won the only previous meeting this season, shutting out the Sharks 3-0 in San Jose on Oct. 18. Pittsburgh has won four straight in the series overall. For San Jose, this game concludes a five-game road trip. The Sharks have gone 2-2-0 on the swing so far. Pittsburgh is in the midst of a stretch playing seven of eight games on home ice. The matchup features a contrast in styles. The Sharks will aim to leverage Wennberg’s recent playmaking and a structured defensive effort to slow Pittsburgh’s transition game. The Penguins will look to use their speed and capitalize on home ice to create offensive-zone time and test San Jose’s defense early. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. Following the game, Pittsburgh hosts the Utah Mammoth on Sunday, while San Jose returns home to face Calgary on Tuesday.